West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

[Columbuseer]

Okay, so we aren't rebuilding then, we are reloading!!! Well here comes another top 10 pre season ranking, lol.

I am not quite ready to predict a top 10 pre season ranking.

Positives:
1. All the non-frosh transfers have at least 1 year in the system.
2. Hurray reminds me of D'Augustino in build and in attacking the rim, and in addition he is a great shooter. Leading scorer in North Catholic history and all conference freshman team.
3 I will be surprised if opponents will out rebound us as much as last year with a 6-9, 6-8, 6-7 roster.
4. Dante is leading by example.

Concerns:
1. They still have to learn to play together, so one player does not zig when teammate thinks he is going to zag.
2. The freshmen are talented and have promise, but they are still just freshmen.
3. We may have some losses in Dec, especially since we have some tough out of conference opponents.

[boatcapt]

Okay, so we aren't rebuilding then, we are reloading!!! Well here comes another top 10 pre season ranking, lol.

Yep...Better 3 point shooters replacing less good ones...experience in the system...HC of a team that should have won at least 25+ games and been a shoe in for the tourney last year AND was one of the Top 30 Coaches Under 30.

Better players...better experience ..better coach. Can't help but be a better team. I'd be shocked if we lose even one game!

[TopperNation]

Yep...Better 3 point shooters replacing less good ones...experience in the system...HC of a team that should have won at least 25+ games and been a shoe in for the tourney last year AND was one of the Top 30 Coaches Under 30.

Better players...better experience ..better coach. Can't help but be a better team. I'd be shocked if we lose even one game!

Hahahaha, well let me book my hotel room for downtown Indianapolis then, who wouldn't sign up for an undefeated season Boat!

[Layton]

Add Xavier Harris from Coker

[Columbuseer]

Add Xavier Harris from Coker

Good info. Thanks.
He played as frosh at Western Colorado. Then he played last year at Coker. I think he is a PG.
Looks like wlu roster is filling up.

[Layton]

Add Landon Butler from Coker

[Columbuseer]

Add Landon Butler from Coker

Great find. Thank you.
6-4
20 mins per game at coker.
7.8 ppg , nearly a 2 to 1 assist to turnover ratio.
will be a jr with 2 years to play.
All the butlers have a deep understanding of the game.

[Columbuseer]

Add Xavier Harris from Coker

6-2
jr 2 yrs to play
24 mins per game, 6.5 ppg
3.4 assist to turnover ratio
4 rebounds per game
46 steals on season

[boatcapt]

Hahahaha, well let me book my hotel room for downtown Indianapolis then, who wouldn't sign up for an undefeated season Boat!

Who knew all we needed to do was get rid of Howlett, hire Mike and recruit the players he recruited at Coker! Could have had TWO National Championships and looking to a "threepeat" this coming season!!

[TopperNation]

Are there any more players left at Coker? I mean is the team manager coming too, lol? I was joking earlier when I asked if we should be called the West Lib Cobra's, but now I may actually get some shirts made up.

[Topper_Hopper]

Are there any more players left at Coker? I mean is the team manager coming too, lol? I was joking earlier when I asked if we should be called the West Lib Cobra's, but now I may actually get some shirts made up.

Their 2024-2025 roster shows 20 players. I'm not sure how many played at all (or even dressed).

[boatcapt]

Are there any more players left at Coker? I mean is the team manager coming too, lol? I was joking earlier when I asked if we should be called the West Lib Cobra's, but now I may actually get some shirts made up.

In the words of Bill Parcell - "You are what your record says you are." We were a 30 win Elite 8 team that won the MEC regular season title last year and we lost most of our top tier talent to graduation and transfer. We brought in a new HC and a large number of his players from a 19 win team that did not make the NCAA Tourney and finished tied for third in their conference regular season.

Every season is a new season so you don't know how the players will mature but it's just a difficult stretch to believe that a simple change in uniform and location will be the difference between a 19 win team and a 30 win one, regardless of what the advanced stats say.

I'd be ecstatic if we win in the low 20's and sneak into the NCAA tourney as a #7 seed.

[boatcapt]

Their 2024-2025 roster shows 20 players. I'm not sure how many played at all (or even dressed).

That does seem to be a difference between our former coach and Mike. Mike appears to like larger rosters while our former coach typically kept his roster in the 12-13 player range.

[TopperNation]

That does seem to be a difference between our former coach and Mike. Mike appears to like larger rosters while our former coach typically kept his roster in the 12-13 player range.

Yeah that's going to be a big change here if we have more than 12 or 13 players. I remember laughing at Wheeling Jesuit years ago when they would show up with like 20 + players in the layup line.

[Scrub]

That does seem to be a difference between our former coach and Mike. Mike appears to like larger rosters while our former coach typically kept his roster in the 12-13 player range.

Don't forget that Coker is a small private. Those places often use extended rosters to add more "paying customers" who dream of playing ball in college to the tuition ledger. Very few public schools do that. I would be shocked if Lamberti had a roster that big at WLU. That was likely more institutional in nature. Remember the days when Wheeling U would have a team picture that looked like it had a varsity and JV squad?